Black Friday is a bit like a retail version of the Hunger Games, it turns retail shopkeeper’s balance sheets from red (loss) to black (profit). It’s an informal name for the day following Thanksgiving in the United States of America which falls every fourth Thursday of November. This year, the event falls on Friday, November 24 (TODAY).

In U.K the term “Black Friday” is the day when emergency services activate contingency plans to cope with the increase in workload due to many people going out drinking on the last Friday before Christmas. But Nowadays it all about shopping.. shopping.. and just shopping.

Black Friday is a shopping day for a combination of reasons. As the first day after the last major holiday before Christmas, it marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Additionally, many employers in the US give their employees the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. In order to take advantage of this, virtually all retailers in the country, big and small, offer various sales including limited amounts of door-busting items to entice customers new and old.

Cyber Monday… Probably the only time of the year people look forward to Monday mornings! Just like the now infamous Black Friday Events across the globe, “Cyber Monday” to has become an international marketing term used by online retailers across the world. It’s quickly becoming one of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year. This year, the event falls on Monday, November 27.

Online retailers have stated in the past that their sales increased substantially on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on Cyber Monday this year. UK online retailers are now referring to “Cyber Monday” as the busiest internet shopping day of the year that commonly falls on the same day as the US Cyber Monday.

Top 10 “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” 2017 Stores:

Walmart

Amazon

Sam’s club

Target

Kohl’s

Best Buy

Toys R Us

HP

American Eagle (AEO)

Macy’s

How to get the best discounts?

Prepare tonight

Stack your vouchers

Shop early in the day

Watch out for doorbusters

Start early.

Do your research.

Compare prices.

Create a budget—and stick to it.

Avoid pricey accessories.

Check all store policies in advance.

Don’t just focus on Friday.

NOT to Buy on Black Friday!

The days surrounding Thanksgiving offer up a seemingly endless smorgasbord of deals. But not every Black Friday offer is truly worthy of your cash. To help you sort the doorbusters from the filler deals, here is a list of things you should skip this Black Friday.

iPhones

Fitness Equipment

Tools

Jewelry: Wait until January to make your jewellery purchase, and get a head start on Valentine’s Day.

1080p TVs

Black Friday Models

Final Sale Items

Gift Cards

Winter Clothing

Holiday Decorations

Tips to Do a Safe Online Shopping

Check the seller’s customer satisfaction ratings.

Check the Better Business Bureau site to see if there are a large number of complaints about the seller.

Whenever possible, use a credit card for payment.

Never enter your credit card information on a page that is not encrypted.

Go directly to the seller’s site rather than clicking a “coupon” link that was sent to you from an unknown source.

For over 800 years the newly elected Lord Mayor of London has made his or her way from the City to distant Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown. Over the centuries this journey grew into the riotous medieval pageant known to all as the Lord Mayor’s Show, the first outside event ever to be shown live on television and still the oldest and grandest civic procession in the world. It’s a great free day out for the whole family, on the streets of the City of London on November 11th.
The event draws in huge crowds from across the world. These days, the parade is more of a celebration than a show of loyalty.

HISTORY OF THE SHOW

London in 1215 was already an independent-minded place; large, rich, well-connected and hard to rule. It was the largest city north of the Alps, with nearly 15,000 residents, and its power was growing. At the same time, King John’s disastrous reign was falling apart. His armies were retreating in France, he was running out of money and his Barons were on the edge of open revolt.

The city of London, squeezed by the King’s taxes and frequently held hostage in baronial disputes, had been trying since the late 1100’s too organised itself into a medieval commune. The King may have thought he was creating a powerful new ally when in 1215 he gave his support to the commune and issued a Royal Charter allowing the City to elect its own Mayor every year.

There was an important condition. Every year the newly elected Mayor must leave the safety of the City, travel upriver to the small town of Westminster and swear loyalty to the Crown. The Lord Mayor has now made that journey for over 800 years, despite plagues and fires and countless wars, and pledged his/her loyalty to 34 kings and queens of England.

The Mayor of London became the Lord Mayor about a century later and for the next few hundred years; Lord Mayor of London was by far the grandest position to which a commoner could aspire. The Mayor’s journey was the celebrity spectacle of its day and over the centuries it grew so splendid and so popular that by the 16th century it was known everywhere as the Lord Mayor’s Show. It features in the plays of Shakespeare, the diaries of Pepys and the adventures of James Bond and of course in the pantomime story of Dick Whittington, who really was the Mayor of London three times. In the 20th century, the Lord Mayor’s Show was the first outside event ever to be broadcast live and it still attracts a TV audience of millions.

The modern Lord Mayor’s procession is a direct descendant of that first journey to Westminster. The route and date have changed over the years but the pageantry of Hogarth and Canaletto can still be seen in its lively mixture of London’s past, present and future. The state coach is over 250 years old, and the pikemen who guard it are almost as old as the Show. Today you will see the City’s businesses, Livery Companies, charities, Her Majesty’s Forces, the City Police and Londoners from all walks of life come together to enjoy a splendid celebration of the City’s ancient power and prosperity, just as they did in the middle ages.

Whats happening at the event?

The ceremony will begin with a river pageant starting at QRB Gloriana at Westminster Pier, Victoria Embankment, floating downriver to pass through Tower Bridge for a Mayoral salute. Then join in the fun procession, as around half a million people line up along the route to watch the colourful parade travel across the City of London. And also there will be a spectacular fireworks display in the evening. For the best views, try the riverside between Waterloo and Blackfriars Bridges. Usually, event flows as follows

• FLOTILLA
• PROCESSION
• FIREWORKS

FLOTILLA
When the Lord Mayor’s journey began, London and Westminster were separated by open countryside. The quickest and safest way to get from one to the other was to travel up the Thames, and for the first few hundred years, the Lord Mayor’s Show did just that. If you’ve ever wondered why a carnival is made up of floats, that’s why Crowds would watch from the banks of the Thames.

PROCESSION

Thousands of participants are expected to attend the big day. The Lord Mayor’s Show is a procession of more than 6500 people, 165 horses, 20 bands and 35 carriages. The liveliest crowd is from Bank to St. Pauls between 11.00 am and 12.30 am. Fully assembled it would measure over three miles long but it never is, as the route from Mansion House to the Royal Courts covers less than two miles. For a less crowded viewpoint, we suggest somewhere between Blackfriars and Mansion House station between 1.15 pm and 2.30 pm.

FIREWORKS
To mark the end of the Lord Mayor’s Show and the beginning of a new mayoral year, London’s newly confirmed Lord Mayor will launch a splendid fireworks display over the river. You can expect the display to last 15-20 minutes and the roads to reopen at around 6.30 pm.

The iconic golden Lord Mayor’s Coach can be seen at the Museum of London during the rest of the year.

Brit Movie Tours is the premier TV and Movie Tour Company in the UK. They operate bus, walking and small vehicle tours in various locations throughout the UK including London, Cardiff, Leeds, Essex, Edinburgh and Belfast.

The tours available are from some of the biggest TV and film brands on both the small and big screen. Tours are put together to educate, entertain and appeal to visitors of all ages, nationalities and interests, bringing movies and TV shows to life. You will get to hear how the movies or programs are made and learn lots of behind the scene snippets, trivia and anecdotes.

The company is ethical and passionate about customer care. They realise that online reviews can make or break businesses. You only have to look at the many great reviews on Trip Advisor to see how good their tours are and how much they care. Being aware of how most consumers consider the credibility of online reviews and that the majority of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, means they treat each tour with the same care. They only employ tour guides that are passionate about the subject or who are knowledgeable in that field.

Some of the guides are actual celebrities. For the past few years their Krays Gangster London tour has been guided by the actor Stephen Marcus, aka Nick the Greek from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Sadly he is leaving this October but there will be a new celebrity to replace him.

They limit the amount of people on each tour so that everyone can hear the tour guide and get an enjoyable experience. Many of the tours are available as private tours, so ideal from small groups on special occasions. With the small coach tours you get to watch episodes’ and clips from the TV or movie the tour is about. This helps pass the time while moving between locations. There are always plenty of opportunities for photographs and breaks along the way.

The Company was founded in 2009 by Lewis Swan, with his passion and commitment Brit Movie Tours quickly became one of the leading specialist tour operators in the UK.

Some of the popular tours on offer include Harry Potter, Doctor Who, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Downton Abbey, Outlander, Poldark, Doctor Martin, Gavin and Stacy, Dad’s Army, Emmerdale, Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones, Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex and much more. As and when new episodes’ and films come out, new locations get added to the relevant tours.

If there is a popular TV series or movie and some of the filming was carried out in the UK, then you can bet Brit Movie Tours will offer a tour. So why not join other likeminded fans and book a Brit Movie Tour. You won’t be disappointed!